Funding welcomed for historic Keilor Police Hut restoration

Brimbank Council has welcomed a $200,000 Living Heritage grant to help restore an 1850s prefabricated iron Police Hut at the Harrick’s Cottage site in Keilor Park.

The hut was imported during the Gold Rush, most likely shipped from England, to form part of the Keilor Plains Police Station.

The $200,000 Living Heritage grant funding was announced on 8 November 2019 by the Hon. Ben Carroll, Minister for Crime Prevention, Corrections, Youth Justice and Victim Support.

Brimbank Mayor Cr Georgina Papafotiou said the funding will help secure the long term conservation of the heritage structure.

“On behalf of Brimbank Council, I’d like to convey our thanks to the State Government for supporting the restoration of this important historic building.

“The Keilor Police Hut is an important part of our history, and we’re extremely happy to be receiving a grant to help restore it.

“I’d like thank the Keilor Historical Society, for its ongoing work in pursuing the restoration of the Keilor Police Hut.

“Council and the Keilor Historical Society have been collaborating to get this important heritage building restored for some time now.

“Since 2015, the disassembled Police Hut has been stored at the Harrick’s Cottage site to protect it from further deterioration, while awaiting restoration funding.

“Our hope was that it could be reassembled when Council and the Keilor Historical Society were able to secure sufficient funding.

“Council is extremely pleased our application to the State Government for heritage funding under its Living Heritage program has been successful.

“Council will now plan for the restoration and interpretation of the hut in accordance with the timeframes required by Heritage Victoria who administer the Living Heritage Program,” Cr Papafotiou said.

Once the Police Hut is restored and re-erected, the Keilor Historical Society will manage the hut and make it available for our community to learn about its heritage.

A range of public activities will be run at the site such as regular open days, tours of the restored Keilor Police Hut and educational activities with school groups, to help the community learn about the history and the significance of the building.

Council has also allocated some funding towards the cost of this project in the 2018/2019 budget.

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